Method and apparatus for finding stick-up height of a pipe or finding a joint between two pipes in a drilling environment

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to a method, apparatus, a computer program and computer for automated detection of pipe ( 2 ) in a drilling operation, where the method comprising: using one or a plurality of sensors ( 41 ) to obtain one ore a plurality of data sets and/or images representing the pipe area, the data sets and/or images representing 3D and/or 2D images of the drilling operation; and processing the data sets and/or images to identify the pipe in the data sets and/or images.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for automated detection of pipe in a drilling operation comprising:
 obtaining one or a plurality of data sets or images representing the pipe area, using one or a plurality of sensors, the data sets or images representing 3D images of the drilling operation; 
 eliminating the surroundings around the pipe from the data sets or images; 
 identifying the pipe in the data sets or images by processing the data sets or images; and 
 guiding a pipe handling means using either a calculated stickup height of the identified pipe for engaging the pipe, or a computed distance between the sensors and a mouse hole for a moving operation of the pipe, as an input parameter. 
 
     
     
       2. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising calculating the stickup height from an estimated drill floor. 
     
     
       3. An apparatus comprising a computer and a display, wherein the apparatus arranged to perform the method as claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
       4. A system comprising one or a multiple sensors, control means and pipe handling means, wherein the control means comprising a computer means for controlling the pipe handling means as disclosed in method  claim 1 . 
     
     
       5. The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the controlling means communicate via a wireless communication line to the sensors and the pipe handling means. 
     
     
       6. The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the controlling means comprising means for communicating with an operator. 
     
     
       7. The system according to  claim 4  comprising one or a plurality of display units for displaying images and parameters. 
     
     
       8. A method for automated detection of a joint between two pipes in a drilling operation comprising:
 obtaining one or a plurality of data sets or images representing the pipe joint area by using one or a plurality of sensors, the data sets or images representing 3D images of the drilling operation; 
 eliminating the surroundings around the pipe from the data sets or images; 
 identifying the pipe joint in the data sets or images by processing the data sets or images; and 
 guiding a pipe handling sin either the distance between the pipes or distance between the sensors and pipe joint as an input parameter, as an input parameter. 
 
     
     
       9. A system comprising one or a multiple sensors, control means and pipe handling means, wherein the control means comprising a computer means for controlling the pipe handling means as disclosed in method  claim 8 . 
     
     
       10. The system according to  claim 9 , wherein the controlling means communicate via a wireless communication line to the sensors and the pipe handling means. 
     
     
       11. The system according to  claim 9 , wherein the controlling means comprising means for communicating with an operator. 
     
     
       12. The system according to  claim 9  comprising one or a plurality of display units for displaying images and parameters.